To all our valued members, new and returning to Douglas College,

Happy New Year! Welcome to campus for the winter semester and for those returning to in-person learning, welcome back to campus! We hope that everyone is continuing to stay safe and taking care of themselves.

We are excited and optimistic for the coming winter semester. We are working to ensure you have access to all services and events on campus while following public health orders with increased safety measures. For those that are starting or continuing their education online, you can access everything the DSU has to offer through our online services and our drop-in sessions, or by contacting our office directly at 604-527-5110. While public health orders continue to evolve and be updated, we continue to monitor the changes and adapt to ensure that we are here for you!

IN-PERSON SERVICES

Following the provincial health authority and WorkSafe BC guidelines, we have made changes to our spaces to ensure the safety of all our staff, directors, and our members entering the building.

The Douglas Students’ Union continues to follow and be in accordance with Provincial Health Orders and Mandates set by the Public Health Office. As per Provincial Health Mandate, wearing a mask is mandatory in all public indoor settings, this includes all campus buildings and the DSU building. We encourage the practice of proper hygiene by washing your hands or using the available sanitizer, and ask that you maintain social distancing measures by following the appropriate signs found within the building.

OFFICE HOURS

The DSU offices will be open for in-person services starting back this week, January 4th, 2022.
New Westminster Office – Our front desk is located on Level 2 of the DSU building on the New Westminster campus. Our front desk is now open Monday through Friday from 9:30am-4:30pm.

Coquitlam Kiosk – Our Kiosk in the AB building on the Coquitlam campus (located next to security) is now open Monday through Friday from 9:30am-4:30pm.

VIRTUAL FRONT DESK HOURS

For those continuing with online and remote learning this semester, we will be continuing our online drop-in sessions to access the Front Desk. These will be held through Zoom for the first 6 weeks of the semester on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Watch our social media and website for drop in links and times.

LOCKERS

Lockers will be available for members at a cost of $10 per semester. Members can access the locker rentals through the New Westminster DSU L2 office and the Coquitlam Kiosk. Payments can be made by card or cash at this time. Updates are available on our website.

CLUBS

Clubs have returned to in-person activities and initiatives this semester. They are a great way to get involved and to meet fellow students at Douglas College. All students are welcome to join a current club, or to start their own.

Join us at our upcoming Club Fairs happening January 18th and 20th to see what clubs you can join, or to promote and recruit students for your club. You can also always check our website to see the list of active clubs.

For those wanting to start their own club, club registration packages are available at the beginning of January and due back by Thursday January 27th at 4pm. For more info about starting your own club, please email clubs@thedsu.ca.

DSU HANDBOOK DAY PLANNER

The DSU offers free handbook day planners for members. The handbook day planners are available for pick up from the DSU building in New Westminster and the DSU kiosk in Coquitlam.

We will also continue to offer a mail out service for our handbooks. If you would like your handbook mailed to you, we will mail it anywhere within Canada. To have your handbook mailed to you please fill out the form here.

FOOD BANK

The DSU Food Bank is an emergency service for those needing short-term assistance. To ensure the safety of our staff and all our members by minimizing the amount of traffic in our building and face to face interactions, we have transitioned the service online. The Food Bank will be available to all members starting January 17 with confirmation of enrolment. Members will be able to access the Food Bank twice per semester here.

PRINTING

The DSU offers students 100 free black and white prints. To access the printing service, stop by the DSU front desk in New West, or Kiosk in Coquitlam. Printing needs to be brought on a USB or emailed at time of visit during our office hours.

MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS

The DSU offers free menstrual products in all the washrooms in our building at the New Westminster campus during building hours: 8:30am-6:30pm, and at our kiosk at the Coquitlam campus during office hours: 9:30am-4:30pm.

We have been advocating to the college to provide free menstrual products in all the washrooms at both Douglas College campuses, and this past semester, we submitted an official proposal and request.

EMERGENCY FUND

In the Spring of 2020, the Douglas Students’ Union re-allocated $100,000 towards the Emergency Fund with Douglas College to support students during the Pandemic. Students facing financial hardships can apply directly for funding, please contact your Student Success Advisor directly at Douglas College.

LOUNGES AND STUDY SPACES

The DSU student lounges and study spaces remain open for students to access as needed. In New Westminster, there are student lounges on the 1st and 3rd floor of the DSU building. The 1st floor lounge has an open study space and table tennis. The 3rd floor lounge has pool tables, air hockey, foosball, student kitchen and open study spaces. There are also some bookable study rooms available on the 3rd and 2nd floor of the DSU building. To book one of the study rooms, please visit the DSU front desk or in advance online here.

To ensure everyone’s safety, we will be closing the games (pool tables, air hockey, foosball, and table tennis) in our lounges for the first few weeks of the semester, until it is safe to resume them. The lounges will remain open to be used as a study space for you to use as needed. 

The Lounges in New Westminster are open Monday-Friday 8:30am-6:30pm.

In Coquitlam, there is a student lounge in room A1190, with a microwave, lounge chairs and computers available for student use. The Lounge in Coquitlam is open Monday-Friday 8:30am-6:30pm.

U-PASS

The U-Pass BC program was reinstated in the Fall semester, after working with TransLink, the other participating post-secondary institutions and student associations, and with continued support from the Province of BC. Students who are registered in on-campus classes, co-op or practicum placements that are a minimum of three credits will continue to be eligible for a U-Pass BC and will be charged the U-Pass BC fee. Those taking online classes only will not be eligible for the U-Pass BC and will not be charged.

Students that are facing financial hardships as a result of not being eligible for the U-Pass and require assistance, can apply to the Emergency Fund by contacting your Student Success Advisor at Douglas College.

ADDITIONAL SERVICES TO SUPPORT YOU

All our services can all be found here.

EVENTS AND CAMPUS LIFE

Since returning to campus in the Fall, we have transitioned our events to be back on campus, while following provincial health orders. We will be continuing with on-campus events, and will host virtual events as needed. While provincial health orders are in place, some of our events will require a Vaccine Passport.

Some events you can expect this semester are: EDGE, movie days, wellness events, lunch events, end of semester outdoor beverage gardens (all ages welcome), as well as other social events to meet new friends and so much more! Stay up to date on events this winter through our website or social media pages.

ADVOCACY WORK

Access to affordable and equitable education is a priority for the DSU in hopes of removing barriers to education for students and those who need it. Some ways that we advocate for these are through advocating for fee regulation on international fees, more access to academic materials, and funding model adjustment for post-secondary institutions. For a full list of our campaign and advocacy work, please visit our website here.

Another part of the Advocacy work that we do is through our DSU Collectives. The DSU Collectives exist to represent and support different equity groups on campus. They are organized and run by the DSU constituency representatives, and they coordinate meetings, socials, workshops, events, and campaigns & advocacy work. The four collectives that we have are:

  • DSU Accessibility Collective
  • DSU Indigenous Students’ Collective
  • DSU Pride Collective
  • DSU Women’s Collective

To find out more about DSU Collectives or to join, please visit our website here.

OMBUDPERSON SERVICE

The DSU Ombudsperson provides a safe, confidential and informal environment for students to discuss conflicts, complaints or disputes. The DSU Ombudsperson can also provide support and assistance with interpretation of Douglas policies and procedures.

Students seeking support can access the DSU Ombudsperson by email, phone, and video call sessions through ZOOM. Students can contact the Ombudsperson directly here to set up an appointment.

We are listening and will continue to listen to you and your concerns and will work hard to address them at all levels. As we continue to move forward we will overcome challenges together. We appreciate all your feedback, and we are committed to continuing to work hard to adjust and improve our services, in-person and online, to better help all of our members and advocate for more affordable and accessible post-secondary education. We will continue to advocate for students to the decision makers at Douglas College. If you ever have any issues, please feel free to reach out to us board@thedsu.ca

Thank you for your understanding and patience while we continue to work to support you as best as we return to on-campus and in-person. We’re excited and look forward to seeing you in the New Year!

If you have questions or would like to access any of our services, please don’t hesitate to reach out and get in touch with us:
info@thedsu.ca
@thedsu6
www.thedsu.ca

Sincerely,
Your Douglas Students’ Union Board of Directors